Genies and Jinxes: Behind the Scenes
by PirateWizardThief
Summary: Here are a collection of extras that go along and add more to my stories. They consist of things that happened before the movies, after the movies, during the series, and include small holiday stories. Please read my other stories first. Otherwise you might be confused.
1. The First Night

**_Hello all! This is a behind the scenes story! Just a little fun with my Genies and Jinxes stories! All of the chapters will be different times and different situations which didn't make it into the stories or are background extras like this first one. _**

**_Disclaimer: I only own Alaric. _**

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_The First Night _

_(Takes place before the first movie, right after the first chapter of the story)_

_"Why don't you come live with us?" He said and the little monkey leapt onto Alaric's shoulder and chattered in his ear something that sounded like 'oh please!' Alaric smiled a little unsurely._

_"Um, really?"_

_"Of course. Now c'mon lets go home." The older boy walked away._

_"Home, that sounds good." Alaric said and after pausing a moment, he ran to keep up._

_"So, what's your name?"_

_"Alaric."_

_"Well, Alaric, I'm Aladdin and this is Abu." The monkey hugged Alaric with his tail._

_"Nice to meet you, Aladdin." The monkey grumbled. "And you too Abu."_

_After awhile Aladdin said, "You know, you don't look like a jinx to me." And the little boy grinned._

It was late evening when the trio got to the place that Aladdin called 'home'. Alaric seemed fascinated by it though and Aladdin watched from his window seat as Alaric explored the hovel in wonder.

"Wow, all this space is yours?" He asked curiously, the eight-year-old practically bouncing on his feet. Aladdin tried not to laugh, because it wasn't really a funny situation. Truly, the boy had never seen something like this before and that thought sobered him up. Instead he only nodded.

"Yeah, it's not much but its home." Abu sat in his lap, looking at the boy too.

"Home…"Alaric repeated tasting the word for a moment before looking at Aladdin curiously. "Does no one else live here?" He asked and Aladdin arched an eyebrow.

"No…Why?"

"Oh." The boy flushed and Aladdin grimaced, he hadn't meant to sound like he was making fun of him. "I-I just thought it was like where I used to live. Many people lived together."

"Oh, well, no. We don't really do that here unless it's a family or really close friends." Aladdin shrugged. "Most just do what they want." Silence fell and Alaric for the first time noticed the drawn curtain behind the older boy.

"What's that for?" He asked, looking at the thin material in confusion. "Can someone see you up here?"

Aladdin laughed. "No, no. I don't use this to hide. It's just to keep the sun out sometimes and it helps when it's cold out." He tugged the material aside and Alaric's eyes widened at the sight. Aladdin turned to see the palace bathed in orange and pink lights. "It's my favorite time of the day." He commented. "Just right for when the sun hits the palace." Alaric hadn't realized how close he had gotten to the older boy and Aladdin actually got a better look at him. He examined him as the boy gazed at the palace. Now, since they didn't need to be on the run or in a hurry, Aladdin could actually get to look at his new-found friend better and Abu did too.

He was skinny was the first thing Aladdin noticed, too skinny for even a normal, everyday street rat. It was very disturbing to see his ribs. Another thing was that he was very dirty. Now, Aladdin wasn't as well-groomed as he would have liked to be, but he wasn't as grungy looking as most. He kept his appearance as well as he could and Aladdin could tell that Alaric was in desperate need of some attention.

Next was his appearance in itself. Typical Agrabanians had dark tanned skin, dark hair and dark eyes. Alaric was the complete opposite. He had lighter skin than Aladdin had ever seen before and his hair and eye color was odd to him as well. It did suit him though, Aladdin decided. His hair was oddly cut and shaped, but that seemed to work for him too and, Aladdin noticed, he seemed to keep that well-groomed. It wasn't as dirty as his face and hands.

His blue eyes were the same color as the ocean and Aladdin felt that they hid more than he could fathom. Aladdin could tell that Alaric had been abused that much was clear in his almost hesitant gaze. The boy's eyes never rested too long in one spot and as Aladdin sat watching him, he could see the blue orbs, darting to take in all that he could at once. It was a defensive mechanism, he was sure.

Bruises. Aladdin finally noticed the dull bruises that littered every inch of the boy in so many spots. Most were hidden by a thin covering of dirt, but the rest was shown afresh. The one under his left eye for instance, hadn't been that noticeable before, now shone out on his face. Several smaller ones lined his chin and neck and Aladdin grew startled to see that they were finger prints. There were some on his wrists too; large hands had grasped him at one time. Aladdin frowned, not liking what he was seeing at all.

Blood. Blood stains were on the boy's vest, more precisely on the back. Aladdin noticed then that the clothes he wore were getting too small and the vest that was barely covering his chest was a testament to that. It was clear that the boy desperately needed someone to care for him.

Aladdin reached out to place a hand on his shoulder to get his attention and he got a shock. As soon as his fingers grazed the vest, the boy whirled to face him looking very much like a cornered animal. His eyes were wide and fearful, but Aladdin could see the warning in them too. Do not touch, they seemed to say even though the direct thought was never said aloud. Aladdin held his hands up in calming fashion.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." he stated and for a moment he wondered if the boy was going to flee. Instead he nodded a bit. "I just wanted to know if you'd like to wash off." The boy looked at his hand before shifting his gaze to look at Aladdin. The older boy watched as Alaric looked at him, but was curious as to why Alaric never met his eyes directly.

"Really?"

The whispered question made Aladdin want to rant at whoever had left the boy to wander all alone. Aladdin knew that most of the orphans in Agrabah were either unwanted or their parents had died and it was sad to see. However, something about this one in particular made Aladdin hesitant about what he was going to do. It was obvious that Alaric was no ordinary orphan. Yes, he was scared and alone, but there was something under all that… It made Aladdin wary of just what he had gotten into.

"Yeah."

"I…"

"It's okay." Aladdin reassured him. "It's just getting clean."

"…Okay." Alaric murmured and Aladdin smiled at him warmly.

"I'll be right back." He told him and Alaric suddenly looked afraid. Aladdin stopped walking. "Hey…look at me." Alaric did as Aladdin smiled as convincingly as he could. "I promise I'll be right back." Alaric searched his face for a moment before nodding. Aladdin was confused about Alaric's scrutiny, but it apparently had made him relax at what he found…or didn't find. "Stay right there." He said before he left.

Aladdin came back quickly with the bucket of water and found Alaric still sitting in the same spot and he looked rather stiff. He frowned at the boy's obvious discomfort and looked at Abu. The little monkey was tempting the boy with an apple from the stash they had gotten earlier, but Alaric, despite how hungry he was, did not budge.

"Did you really sit there the entire time?" Aladdin asked in bewilderment, watching as pink tinge spread across Alaric's cheeks. The boy nodded. "You didn't have too." He said as if stating the obvious and Alaric looked harder at his feet. Aladdin immediately reprimanded himself for his careless attitude. "Look, um, what I meant was…"

"Did I not sit right?" Alaric asked quietly and Aladdin was momentarily stunned.

"How can you not sit right?" Aladdin asked confused, but the boy grew fearful. Aladdin blinked rapidly as Alaric got on his knees on his feet and wiped at his eyes.

"I'm sorry." The boy said almost inaudibly, his breathing uneven thanks to him trying to calm down his tearing eyes. His head bobbled, eyes never leaving the ground. "How did you want me to sit?" He asked after wiping at his eyes.

Aladdin was stumped to say the least and he very hesitantly, sank to his own knees, setting the bucket aside. He looked at Alaric in the eye and made sure he was paying attention as he said slowly:

"You can do what you want. You know that right?"

"…You shouldn't say things you don't mean." The boy stated darkly and suddenly flinched back. "I'm sorry! Don't hit me!" He hid his face and Aladdin's and Abu's jaws both flew open.

"Hit you!?" Aladdin struggled to say. "I wouldn't do that. Why would you say that?"

"Well…" Alaric started, poking at the floor with his foot. "Aren't you in charge of me now?" His tone had changed a bit, making it a bit sharper than before and Aladdin frowned.

"I said I'd take care of you not beat you."

"Isn't it the same thing?" Alaric asked, looking a bit confused, his voice lost the edge. "Isn't that a home?"

"No!" Aladdin shook his head and he sighed. "No, of course not."

"Then what does it mean? Other than a place to live. What does it mean?"

"What?"

"What does 'home' mean then? If it doesn't mean that you own me. What does it mean?"

"Home," Aladdin stated slowly, thinking of how to explain it. "It's where you go when you need to be loved, protected, welcomed, and cared for."

"Cared for?" Alaric asked, curiously.

"Yeah." Aladdin encouraged. "That is what home is. That is what this place is for me and Abu. This is our home." Aladdin watched as Alaric took in what he said and then slowly, he looked up from his knees.

"I don't have one."

"You do now. If you still want it." Alaric shifted and Aladdin sighed. "Come on, I brought the water." Alaric inched over to where the bucket was and jumped when Aladdin handed him a rag.

"Here you go." He murmured and Alaric took it quickly and looked back at the water. Aladdin waited a moment and then realized that Alaric had no clue what he was supposed to do with the items. He crouched down and held his hand out. "Here." Alaric looked up at him, a pink tinge to his cheeks and Aladdin smiled reassuringly. "It's all right." He murmured softly and wetting the cloth, he started to wipe at Alaric's face. The boy jumped at the contact, but relaxed slowly as Aladdin wiped the grime off his face. The eight-year-old whimpered when Aladdin cleaned a sore spot on his cheek and he apologized quietly.

"That looks a little better." Aladdin smiled when he had wiped Alaric's face and neck clean. He no longer looked dirty and he looked better than he had before. His skin tone had even lightened a bit. Alaric looked curiously at Aladdin and smiling the older boy showed him his reflection on a small hand mirror that he had stolen. Alaric looked at the boy in the mirror and tilted his head. Aladdin watched sadly as he took in Alaric's genuine amazement at his own face.

It was plain that the boy hadn't seen his reflection in a very long time and he watched as the boy touched his cheek. He looked up at him from the mirror and then looked back again, touching his face. Alaric paused and frowned as his hand in the mirror, looking between it and his face, noticing the difference. Quickly he set the mirror down and stuck his hands into the water bucket. Aladdin smiled as the boy scrubbed at them, seeing the same result he had for his face. He stood after a moment and beckoned to Abu who was watching Alaric with amusement. The monkey ran over and Aladdin walked outside, realizing that Alaric meant to get clean all over.

A little later, they went back in to find that Alaric was in better condition than he had been before and was running a hand through his wet hair. Alaric looked up when they entered and he set the bucket and rag aside.

"Thank you." He said softly and Aladdin nodded.

"Sure. Are you hungry?" He asked and Alaric looked like he really wanted to nod before his eyes looked the room over.

"Where do I eat?" He asked and Aladdin shrugged.

"Anywhere you want." He murmured and Alaric nodded slowly. Aladdin went over to the small amount he had stolen today and took the bread loaf, halving it and handing the largest bit to the boy. Alaric took it hesitantly and eyed the door. Aladdin didn't notice him going outside the room, but Abu did and he tugged Aladdin's pants leg.

"What?" He asked and Abu pointed at where Alaric was sitting with his back to them. Aladdin realized that the boy didn't want him to see how he ate and that worried him. He could see that the boy was more than hungry, he was ravenous and tore into the bread, like he had never had any before. When Alaric was through he came inside and Aladdin pretended to not have noticed he was gone.

"Want more?" He asked and Alaric shook his head, barely stifling a yawn. Aladdin did yawn and looked out to see how high the moon was. It was getting late. Alaric remained where he was at, while Aladdin set a place for him to sleep, near the window.

"That was good." The boy murmured and Aladdin looked at him. "The bread. I've never had any like that before. Where did you get it?"

"Well…I stole it." Aladdin murmured.

"You mean, people sell it that good?" He sounded excited and Aladdin groaned internally. Poor kid.

"Yeah all the time." Alaric smiled happily and Aladdin wondered how many bad loaves he had had before.

"Mr. Aladdin?"

"It's just Aladdin or Al if you want."

"Um…do they sell good fruit too?"

"Yeah."

"Wow." Alaric murmured and Aladdin went back to preparing his bed.

"Well, time for bed." He stated once he was done and Alaric's eyes widened. Aladdin froze where he was standing and they eyed one another for many minutes. The unmistakable fear was in the boy's eyes and Aladdin finally had to look away. "I'm not going to hurt you." He said softly and once again got to the boy's eye level. "Trust me. I won't hurt you." Alaric moved over to where he was and Aladdin backed up to give him space as he settled into the makeshift bed.

"I…I'm scared." The boy murmured after a moment.

"There's nothing to be scared of." Aladdin said gently. "Nothing will happen up here."

"I'm scared to close my eyes." Alaric admitted and Aladdin sat next to him.

"It's okay….Dreams won't hurt you."

"Are dreams images you get when you do something bad?"

"Bad?"

"Like scream when you're not supposed to." Alaric murmured and Aladdin's hands clenched into fists. Someone told him _when_ to scream? But why was he screaming to begin with?

"Um…No. Dreams are images you have when you're asleep. It usually has nothing to do with what you were doing before."

"Oh. So….if I go to sleep and dream…It won't be bad?"

"Well…I can't guarantee that. That would be a nightmare. But if you're still scared, you can talk to me a bit."

"Okay." Alaric rolled to his side and curled into a ball, facing Aladdin.

"Where did you come from? And why were you alone?"

"Why?" Alaric asked sharply and Aladdin frowned. "You're not going to take me back are you?" Aladdin shook his head.

"No. but I just wanted to know."

"I….I came from a…."

"From a what?"

"A…Freak Show."

"A _what_?" Aladdin asked and the boy swallowed nervously as he nodded.

"Yes….I'm the Jinx." He murmured and Aladdin frowned further.

"Someone called you that?"

"It was my name. I was the Jinx. There were others. Dog-man, the Howler, the Bearded-Lady, there were a lot of us." Aladdin was silent for a moment and then shifted, deciding to ask what he was wanting to ask.

"Did they…did they hurt you?"

A nod.

"They hit you?"

Another nod.

"What about food? Did they feed you?"

"Only when I was good. I used to get bread and cheese when I was good." He murmured and then got excited. "And this one time, I got my very own shiny red apple." He smiled at the memory before looking sad again. "But I got it taken from me when I messed." Aladdin tried not to yell in frustration. Who could do that to a little boy? "I got a bite though, it was nice."

"Er…yeah, apples taste good." Aladdin said unsure of how to respond. "Are you feeling a little better?"

"A little." He murmured and touched the pillow at his head. "What's this?"

"A pillow."

"Oh, what's in it?"

"Feathers."

"A bird goes around naked?" Aladdin laughed and had to stifle it when the boy gave him a real concerned look. "Why do they pluck the birds? Were they being punished?"

"No, no. The birds were dead."

"Oh. Um…Mr…Um…Aladdin?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm tired."

"Then goodnight." He murmured and rolled over in his own bed. Abu snored lightly. Alaric waited until Aladdin's breathing was even before getting up. When Aladdin awoke in the morning, Alaric was gone.

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_Review?_


	2. The Freak Show

**Hello, everyone and I hope you guys are having a good day! I know I am!**

**Rollingbell: Thank you, hope you enjoy!**

**Bookworm Gal: I do too and thanks!**

**Guest: Thank you and I'm glad you like it!  
**

_**Disclaimer: See first chapter**_

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The Freak Show

(Takes place almost two years before the first chapter of Genies and Jinxes)

The heat was starting to cool as the sun began to lower in the cloudless sky. Shadows began to appear on the ground as well and that was the time of day most people came out for. It wasn't too dark and yet not light enough to blind.

It was the perfect time for Alaric. In fact, he favored this time above all others. The seven-year-old loved the late afternoon sky and all the colors it made. He sat in his usual spot at the back of empty crumbled building next to his old home. There he had made a 'home' of sorts. The boy didn't have any food or water, but he did manage to get by thanks to some caring people. Not everyone liked him to come into town though, so he stayed away most days.

This particular evening though, he was rather curious as to what was happening in the very center of town. Curiosity got the better of him and he got up to sneak into town. He had to sneak or one of the angry villagers would see him. Alaric kept close to the shadows, but when he saw that the large crowd gathered in the middle of the street was blocking his view, he had no choice but to come out.

Keeping on the outskirts of the large group, Alaric shifted over to the front and saw a group of small children gathered around a massive, red-wooded caravan. Seeing no harm in blending in with the other children, Alaric moved slowly, until he was partially in the middle of the swarming kids. Hopefully he could now see what was going on. Alaric gaped at the large sign that was plastered to the side of the wagon. On it were pictures of odd looking people and it read: _Manito the Magnificent Presents: The Freak Show! Real Live Freaks!_ Alaric didn't like the look of the poster and shivered slightly.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce myself." A man's voice came from the air. In a puff of red smoke, a man appeared at the corner of the wagon, his cape hiding his face from view. With a dramatic flair, the man flipped his cape back and revealed his face to the crowd. He was an older man with dark brown hair and a thinly trimmed goatee and mustache that was slightly curled on both ends. His dark eyes glimmered with excitement and Alaric shrank back further from the man's greedy gaze.

"I am Manito the Magnificent and this is my Freak Show!" He took a sliver-headed cane from behind his back like magic and the children 'ooh'd' and 'ahh'd', while the adults looked at him in wonderment. "This week's new attraction is…Wolf-Man!" He shouted and tapped the cane against the wagon. A new bigger and brighter poster appeared covering up the first as it slid down and Manito grinned at the crowd as they all gasped and cried out in shock. Children screamed in terror and hid from the hideous picture of fierce-looking hairy man with long pointed teeth. Alaric ducked down and hid too, for a moment, and then he straightened back up.

"He came from a far-away land where his kind all roams free! But fear not, my good people, he cannot escape!" The crowd murmured. Some of them were excited, some were scared, and most of them wondered how much it would cost them. When questioned of the pricing, the man merely smiled.

"It will vary for each age! So I implore you do not worry over the trifle price, but worry instead of where you will be when the show starts!" The crowds seemed to like that and Alaric sighed. If only he had money to go. As he was thinking wishfully, he took a step back too far and yelped as a large hand landed on his shoulder painfully.

"Jinx, what are you doing out here?" The man snarled whirling him around and Alaric tried to flee. "No, you don't!"

"Let go!" The boy cried, tears springing to his eyes. "I wasn't hurting anybody!"

"You little rat, you were going to cause trouble right here!"

"I wasn't!" Alaric sobbed, but the crowd didn't seem to care that he was terrified. In fear, Alaric twisted around and bit the hand that held him. The man roared in anger tossing Alaric to the ground. The boy got up and ran through the crowds. The people gasped in shock and fear as he moved through them and all avoided his touch like the plague. Manito eyed the boy with a wicked gleam and if you looked hard enough you might have seen the greed that appeared in his eyes. Perhaps he should learn more about this so called jinx.

Alaric ran as fast as he could, but as usual, in his panic went the wrong way and ended up running the opposite way he had come. Alaric suddenly tasted sand as he was knocked to the ground and spat it out, still lying on his stomach. A throbbing in his leg made his eyes well up and he looked over to see a large bruise forming on his mid-calf from a stone. When another small rock hit him, Alaric knew instantly that it was no accident and scrambled to his feet.

Rocks whizzed by his head and the boy's vision began to blur by the hot tears that pooled there from the sand that he had landed in. Alaric found an escape route just as a man threw a rotten fruit at him and Alaric wiped at his eyes, going for the hiding place that he had established there. Moving up the crates and barrels that lined the wall, Alaric climbed up and pushed the top one slightly out of the way to reveal a concealed hole big enough for him to hide in. And hide he did. He got inside the space and pulled the barrel to hide the hole and he curled up into a ball and sobbed, rocking himself back and forth. He looked at his leg and rubbed at the sore bruise wincing at the tender skin and he sobbed more. He wished more than anything that he had someone to care for him. He felt lonely and afraid, but Alaric knew that no one wanted a jinx. As night began to fall, he fell into a fitful sleep, unable to shake the feeling that something horrible would happen to him.

* * *

"Excuse me, my good man." Manito asked a villager; coincidently it was the one that Alaric had bitten. "What all this about a jinx?"

"That little devil has caused nothing but trouble for years." The man growled. "He's a menace and a little thief."

"So, you think he's full of bad luck, eh?" Manito asked wickedly and the man grunted.

"You can say that again, sir. That brat is no good at all. Did you get a good look at him? He's not like the rest of us, little freak."

"Hm…Well, dear sir, I might have a proper solution to your problem."

"How so? What can you do to help?"

"I would like to personally take the boy off your hands."

"Why?"

"The real question, dear sir, is why not?" Manito responded and leaned close to the man's ear. "Let me take him and cleanse your streets of bad misfortune. Let me take the boy and all your troubles will disappear." He grinned as the merchant began to nod. "Let me take the boy and I'll make sure he comes back to your…lovely town." The merchant nodded and shook Manito's white-gloved hand.

"It's a deal." The merchant beamed and Manito chuckled. "And I'll help you catch him."

* * *

"Here, little jinx." Manito cooed the man waving the leash at the wide-eyed boy. "Come out and I promise not to harm you." The boy moved further back, until his back hit the end of the box and, angrily, Manito snarled and reached for him. Cornered and unable to move much, Alaric screamed and bit at him. Alaric finally got a hold of his hand and Manito cursed, pulling his hand back.

"Leave me alone!" Alaric cried the seven-year old boy's voice barely loud. "I-I didn't do it!" He flinched as Manito snorted.

"I don't care! You'll make a great addition to my Freak Show!" Alaric whimpered. "Now come out of there!" The boy shook his head and moved further into the box Manito had managed to corner him in. Suddenly, Manito grabbed Alaric's leg and the man jerked him out. Alaric cried out in shock and Manito beamed.

"Got him, boys!" Manito laughed gleefully and Alaric winced and cringed as men leered in his face and held him down to put a leash and collar around his neck.

"We caught the jinx!" The merchant laughed and they all laughed along with him.

"Come on, little jinx." Manito grinned madly and tugged on the end of the leash. Alaric whimpered and whined a like the dog he was made to be. Manito only grinned wider and tugged until Alaric was obediently walking behind him as he waltzed from the alley. The boy struggled to keep up to Manito's long stride as he was paraded down the street for all to see. People laughed and jeered as the boy was tugged along and Alaric eyes welled up with tears. He cried quietly as he was lead towards the caravan of wagons that belonged to Manito. All he could do was cry, for no one could or would save him…

* * *

"Poor kid." Fergal, or more commonly known as the Wolfman, murmured as Alaric tended to this week's injuries. Beside him, Bethany, or the Bearded-Lady, wiped at her eyes with a colored handkerchief. They were the only two in the Freak Show that were kind to Alaric.

"That-that poor little boy." She bawled. "He-he isn't even a little boy, anymore." Fergal nodded as he watched Alaric lick at his injured knuckles like a cat. They had been on the road for six months and already, Alaric seemed to have lost his childlike quality for that of an animal. He hissed and snarled whenever they came too close and he had already did this when the two first entered the tent where Alaric's cage was hidden under it. Fergal wondered if the boy had already gone insane from the mad Freak Show's master's beatings. It was no longer just part of the act what he did to Alaric; it was slowly becoming a normal routine.

"Yeah," Fergal agreed and came closer to the bars of the cage. "Psst." Alaric's head swiveled towards the sound and he narrowed his eyes. "Easy there." Fergal murmured holding his hands up when Alaric flashed his teeth like a tiger or a wolf would. "I won't hurt you. Will you let me see your hands?" Alaric looked at his hands and back at Fergal.

"That's right, sweetie." Bethany cooed and Alaric crept closer, walking as a monkey would which was all he could really do in his limited space. He slid a hand out of the bars and showed it briefly to Fergal before jerking it back. Fergal chuckled.

"Well, I really meant could I clean those injuries."

"Clean?" Alaric uttered and Fergal jumped, having never heard Alaric speak before.

"Oh, you can talk!" Bethany clapped her hands, her beard bouncing.

"Clean….h-hands?" Alaric tried again and they both nodded.

"Yes." Fergal answered softly and Alaric let him touch the bloodied hands. Fergal cleaned his hands and bandaged them too, being quick so that Alaric wouldn't feel trapped.

"Isn't that better?" Bethany asked and Alaric nodded.

"Thank you." he said quietly and then a loud voice shouted:

"What do you think you are doing?" Manito stormed in and Alaric fled to the back of the cage, out of reach. "Well?" He demanded and Fergal spoke up.

"We were just making sure the boy was okay."

"What does it matter? He's just a little beast! A wild jinx!" At the moment Manito's brown eyes were so dark that they were like two hot coals burning furiously. Alaric whimpered, making Manito's glare turn upon him. He spied the freshly wrapped bandages, some of them already spotted with blood from open scabs.

"So, you decided to break one of my rules, eh?" He started in a dangerous tone and Fergal stepped in front of Bethany as Manito wildly turned to him. "You know you're not to speak to this little monster!"

"Well, I don't think he's a monster." Bethany said boldly and then she flinched under Manito's gaze.

"Oh you don't, do ya?" He mocked and then and tossed his cane up in the air so that he could both show it to Alaric and catch it on the middle of the pole. The small toss had its effects for Alaric snarled and whimpered at the same time, pushing back against the far corner of the cage. Like a dog pushed too far, he bared his teeth and growled as Manito walked closer.

"I'll show you what he is." He snapped and raked the silver-headed cane across the bars. Alaric's hands flew to his ears, blocking out the noise and he gave an involuntary scream. Satisfied, Manito turned to the two other freaks and grinned. "You see? A little monster. Nothing more, nothing less."

"He can talk." Fergal stated. "That child is not a monster; he is only poorly cared for. That is not what you claim him to be."

"So he can talk." Manito scoffed rudely. "He'll be speaking in tongues when I get through with him!" Fergal wanted nothing more than to strangle Manito then and there, his hands itching to grab the man's thin neck. Bethany wanted to hit him with whatever she could find. "Now, this better be the last time I catch the two of you in here! He's not to talk to, understand?"

"Yes, master." Fergal and Bethany said and bowed their heads. Manito ran a hand through his greasy brown hair and slicked it back from where it had gotten mussed up by his angry shouting.

"Good. Now get out." They left the tent feeling dread for what they were sure would be a difficult time for Alaric. Manito turned to the boy and Alaric hissed in a cat like manner.

"You think you're clever don't you?" Manito asked mockingly and pressed his face closer to the bars. Alaric gave him a warning snarl not to come further. "You think those fools want to help you? Well, I've got news for you little jinx. You all belong to ME!" He snapped and grabbed Alaric's dirtied vest jerking him towards the bars. Alaric's face collided with the thick metal and the boy whimpered in pain as Manito released his vest to grip his hair, slamming his head against the bars again. "You listen good, brat. None of you are getting out of here. And do you know why? Because just like you like little jinx, those two idiots would have nothing to go home too! I saved them from mockery just as I've done for you. And what do I get? Nothing! None of you are the least bit grateful!" He shoved Alaric back from him and the boy landed against the wall.

"You better learn who the master is here, Jinx." He took a bucket of water from beside the wagon and tossed its contents on Alaric, who slid down the wall, sputtering. "That ought to cool you off, boy. And just for all the trouble you've just caused you can sleep in the dark tonight." Alaric whimpered fearfully as Manito took the lantern that he had hung up down from the pole by the tent's entrance. "See you in the morning." He mocked and with that he left the tent, encasing Alaric in darkness.

The boy whimpered and rolled into a ball to try and keep warm as the cool dessert night wind blew. Alaric spotted something through the wind moved tent flap and as if by magic the tent flap stopped moving, getting stuck so that it was open and so he could see. A bright star gleamed in the inky sky and Alaric smiled wanly.

"I-I wanna leave." He whispered and the seven-year-old sniffed. "I wish my mommy hadn't left me." Tears filled his eyes and he blinked them back. "I wish had a brother and daddy and a…and a best friend and a pet and a house and a room and a bed…" The little boy tried to come up with more to ask for and then he sighed, looking at the star. "You're my only friend. You'll always be there, right?" The star twinkled and Alaric shivered again. His eyes began to close as he gazed upon the lonely star and as he fell asleep, he smiled a little as thoughts of his wishes coming true played in his head.

Fergal snuck back into Alaric's tent, having heard the boy talking lowly and the man had tears in his eyes. In one hand he held a blanket and he approached the sleeping boy almost silently. He had no fear of waking him though as the boy's breathing told him he was out deeply. Fergal pushed the blanket through the bars and covered the boy with it, not caring if the master would rip it to shreds and yell at him for it. He really didn't care anymore.

"I just wanted to say…I just wanted to say, I'm sorry for the hand you've been dealt, son."He whispered, couldn't resist brushing back the boy's hair like a father would do. "No one deserves this life, especially not a little boy. I'll be gone in the morning. I wish I could take you with me. You deserve a chance at least, but I'm afraid that I couldn't provide shelter for you. You don't realize it, little one, but you are much safer in here than out there in the wilderness alone. People don't care for different. A shame really, but they don't. Yes, as much as I hate to admit it, you are much safer within this cage than you would be alone on the streets. People can't get you if you are in here." Fergal patted Alaric's cheek gently and then removed his hand. "May the Great Spirits watch over you." He whispered and left the tent.

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	3. Attention

_Hello everyone! I know it's been a while, but here is another scene...well actually its like three, but whatever :) Its short I know, but some of them will be like that. _

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Attention

_(The first two take place before the first movie and the last part after the second movie)_

At first he did it because he was made to do it. Snapping and snarling at the crowds that watched him all of them backing in fear of getting the 'Jinx'. Alaric used to mind all the stares, used to fear them, but after a while…he craved it. All of it. The fearful gasps, the jeers of hilarity that came from those who thought Alaric too tame and all the people that he got to see.

Being in a cage in a tent all the time was hot and boring, especially during the day when no one visited. When night came… that was when he needed it the most and that's when he gave his best performances. People of all kinds came to see his show and he always made sure they never left before it was over, even if he had to do what he would once consider too embarrassing. Once, to keep an audience, he snatched Manito's hat carrying it around in his mouth like a dog. Manito at first was angry, but then he saw what Alaric was seeing. The crowd found it both terrifying and funny. Some had looks of worry, whispering what would happen should Alaric bite him. Manito from then on, challenged Alaric nightly for entertainment, forming a sort of begrudging alliance between them.

It paid off for Alaric as well. He learned that making the customers happy kept Manito happy and a happy Manito meant no more beatings and more rewards. Alaric was never too comfortable though, he knew better than that. That would have been foolish to let be seen, for although Manito was still somewhat nice to him, he knew that if he saw that Alaric was actually happy that would be snatched away.

Happy was far from the word that Alaric would use in his situation but the moments he lay with his new, really old, blanket at night when the temperature was down he was as happy as could be and always looked forward to the next time he got to see some more people.

* * *

He had done it to see if Aladdin had noticed. Almost always the older boy did and Alaric got a scolding from him and the little monkey on his shoulder. Alaric had taken to thieving things that he knew would make Aladdin angry and it hadn't take him long to figure out why.

He found out one afternoon after finally catching the boy beforehand.

"Put that back. You know better." He snapped and shook his head before turning back around. Aladdin felt eyes on him and he half turned to see Alaric lifting the scarf again, his blue eyes trained on him.

"Alaric, stop it." Aladdin finally had enough and took hold of Alaric taking him down a deserted ally. "If you don't stop that, I'll make you….stay at-" He stopped talking at the look in Alaric's eyes. The boy looked happy? Aladdin was momentarily confused and then he came to the sudden conclusion.

"Hey," He said softly, bending down to make eye contact with Alaric. "You don't have to keep taking stuff. Just tell me what you want."

"What makes you think I want something?" Alaric asked, his 'tough' wall coming up again and Aladdin ignored it like he always did.

"You want to head home then? It is almost dark." That was it. That was why he did it every day around the same time. He was afraid to be alone at night. Alaric nodded slowly to confirm him, the wall sliding down, and Aladdin smiled. "Come on then." he led the way back to the hovel and Alaric moved closer to him.

"Um…Aladdin?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

"I know." Aladdin toned gently, pulling Alaric against his side and tucking an arm around his shoulders. "I know." Abu patted him too and Alaric laughed, hugging the monkey to his chest.

* * *

Genie had taken become aware of of it since the first day after Jafar had been defeated for the second time. It had started out as small things, a word or two here, a snarky comment or two there, or just any kind of noise, even if it was a loud obnoxious sigh anything to get attention from Alaric. And he would get it. Iago was an attention hog, but he wanted…no _craved_ for was Alaric's notice.

The boy could be happily doing whatever he wanted to do, but instead strove to make sure that Iago was attended too and never alone. At first this irritated him and his fellow companions. The Sultan who had not yet quite forgiven Iago for the Jafar fiasco said that the boy was being used and that the parrot was faking. Genie felt somewhat the same, until he saw it. The real, raw emotion of happiness that came from being talked to by Alaric was enough to put his fears to rest.

Iago never admitted how much Alaric's attention was needed. He only did what he did best and hoped that the boy took notice and he always did. Always. There was never a day in which Alaric did not speak to him or pet him or just sat around in silence with. The silence sittings never bothered him and he realized that Alaric liked it too. Just sitting near someone who was ready to listen to whatever you had to say was enough for Iago and it seemed the same for Alaric.

"You're my best friend, Iago." Alaric said one quiet evening. "I'm glad that you are."

"Me too, kid. Me too." It wasn't much and Iago was sure that the answer wasn't what he really should have said, but it satisfied Alaric and that was all that mattered.

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	4. Friendship

_Hello everyone and here is another scene, please enjoy!_

chubbysquirrel132: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! By the way my favorite animal is a squirrel!

Bookworm Gal: Thanks! I enjoy writing it!

rollingbell: Yes it's adorable isn't it?

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Friendship

(Takes place before the series and sometime after the Return of Jafar)

Iago didn't learn until one fateful evening, how much Alaric really cared for him.

Iago swooped and flew about the sands outside the marketplace, stretching his wings. He dipped and dived, hovered and circled. Freedom in the skies, he often had wanted and now that freedom was possible. Jafar had never let Iago out of his sight for long, unless sending him on some secret spying mission. That was his specialty, the silent-winged ninja to the creepy old vizier.

Only…now he didn't have to live like that anymore. He could fly around and do what he wanted to do. No more listening to psychotic sorcerers and no more punishments for talking aloud. He could finally break away from the 'dumb' parrot guise.

As he flew in the fading sunlight, he became aware of a pair of eyes following his every movement. Iago chanced a brief look in the direction and rolled his eyes. Alaric was perched on the top of the last rooftop, watching him with that grin on his face. Iago never understood why the boy gave him that look. For some reason that single solitary hopeful happy look, unnerved him.

"Hey, Iago!" Said boy greeted, grinning like a kid that just won the Jackpot when the parrot finally flew over to him.

"Finally decided to stop spying on me?" Iago asked and Alaric flushed.

"I wasn't spying on you." He murmured and then when Iago raised a brow he quickly added: "Honest! I was just curious where you had gone too." The parrot scowled. Couldn't that kid just leave him alone for one minute without showing up?

"What were you doing out here anyway?" Alaric asked and Iago snorted.

"Flying. What did it look like?" He replied in his usual snarky tone. He waited to see if Alaric actually reacted to his attitude and couldn't help but smirk at the small twitch that his tone gave the kid.

"Was it fun? It looked fun." Iago didn't answer and didn't really want too. He noticed that Alaric seemed to be watching the dying light and Iago sighed. So much for flying in the starlight, now he was responsible for taking Alaric home. Because if he didn't, he would get into trouble by just about everyone and that was something that the parrot did not want to mess with tonight. It would just be another excuse for the Sultan to hate him more.

When the boy had jumped down from the roof to the awning and back on solid ground, Iago flew down to fly ahead of him. Iago's mind suddenly produced images of sleep and the parrot stifled a yawn.

They passed a few houses that were lit with small lights, showing sights of children and their parents sitting together or being put to bed. Iago noticed that Alaric paid these people no mind, keeping his eyes planted firmly elsewhere. Did the boy even have parents? Were they dead? Did Aladdin really raise him alone?

"Are you okay?" Alaric asked, when he noticed the parrot's wondering mind.

"Just thinking." Iago answered and pushed on ahead of him. There was no need to tell him what he was thinking. He was pretty sure Alaric didn't care. He ignored the boy when he started telling him about something or another. The kid could ramble about things that Iago felt no desire to listen too. After a few more minutes of this not letting up, Iago's temper flared. Why was this kid getting on his nerves so bad? Could he not shut up and leave him be? Iago wanted nothing more than to suddenly fly out of sight and let the kid find his own way home.

"…I knew though." The boy concluded and Iago actually let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't heard however. "I knew it when I saw you." Iago paused. He had been talking about him?

"What?" Iago voiced aloud and Alaric turned to him.

"That you would be my friend. I just knew it." Iago felt his blood boil. What the hell was wrong with this kid? The parrot had had enough. First, he had had his flight interrupted, second the kid wouldn't shut up, and third….Well that kid was extremely annoying!

"Would you just shut up?" Iago snapped. "It bad enough that you follow me around constantly inside, but now you can't stop following me outside? And on top of that, you won't stop talking!" Alaric flinched, but Iago was on a roll, not caring when hurt flashed in the boy's ocean blue eyes.

"Hey, news flash, genius! I'm a parrot, but even I need some freakin' space! And some quiet too! Why don't you just leave me alone?"

"Fine!" Alaric snapped back, making Iago instantly regretful. "I just wanted to hang out with you. I thought that since you are my friend, that we could talk without Abu or anyone else getting in the way. I didn't know it was me you were trying to get away from!" The boy's gaze had anger and hurt mixed together so passionately that there was no doubt that he was really feeling it. Iago slumped when the boy turned away from him.

"So, I'll just take my leave then." Alaric stomped off into the darkness, leaving a very mixed up Iago alone.

"Hey, kid, wait!" Iago cried and flew after him. Iago searched the shadows, but found nothing. "Kid?" He called again. All was silent until he heard the shout.

"Let me go!" Iago gulped, now recognizing that this was the part of Agrabah that most decent people avoided. "Let go!" Alaric cried again and the parrot located the boy. Peering around a corner, he spotted Alaric being held off the ground by a really tall thief, while his normal sized partner thrust a dagger at him.

"Where is that friend of yours you was talking too?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have any." Alaric replied, giving the thief a dirty look. "Now let me down!"

"The parrot, brat! Where is he?"

"Flew the coop I guess, but I really don't know what you are talking about." Alaric responded. Iago was puzzled. The boy was...hiding him?

"We both saw you! Chatting away with it you were. Now where is it?"

"Maybe he flew south for the winter? How would I know?" Iago rolled his eyes. That kid spent too much time around the Genie.

"Keep talking like that and I'll gut you now." The dagger thief hissed, while the only holding Alaric gave the boy a rough shake.

"Start talking, street rat, or you'll get hurt."

"But he said not to talk to him. How can I answer you if I can't talk?" The boy questioned and Iago snickered quietly at the look on the thieves' faces.

"Hmm, he's got a point there." The tall one stated. "What do we do now?"

"Let's just take what he's got and go."

"Wha-Hey, stop it!" Alaric shouted as he was held down. The thief with the dagger searched the boy's vest and Alaric gave him a good kick in the face. The thief yelped and fell backwards, giving the boy time to wriggle out of the other's hold and take off sprinting down the alley.

"Oi! He took my gold!" The tall thief stated and Iago looked at Alaric who stood at the end of the ally, a sack in his hand.

"Oh, was this yours?" He asked. "My bad." Alaric grinned and took off with the gold. Iago flew after him, but he didn't get far when something snatched him out of the air. He squawked in surprise and hoped that Alaric had gotten far away.

"Looky, here I found the parrot!" The tall thief stated and Iago gulped.

"So the little brat was telling the truth. He really didn't know where the parrot was."

"Now we got him!" Iago tried to get out of the hand, but the grip was way too tight.

Wham!

The dagger wielding thief went down like a sack of potatoes, a barrel covering half of his body. The tall thief looked all around in alarm, but didn't see anything and Iago looked around too. Suddenly another barrel came from the sky and it hit the thief in the head, directly knocking him out. Iago was released as the thief went down and he jumped when someone snickered behind him.

"Hm, that last one didn't work out like I wanted too, but at least he's out." Alaric murmured and Iago looked up at him. The boy didn't meet his eyes. "Well, come on then. We better go before Al and Genie start looking for us." Iago flew up and hesitated a moment before landing on the boy's shoulder. Alaric never pushed him off like he expect, but no reaction from him, made him guiltier.

"Um…kid? Why did you do that, after everything I said?" Alaric shrugged.

"I couldn't leave you there."

"Well….thanks."

"Look, Iago." Alaric murmured. "The truth is…I only hang around you so much, because I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what? You just took out two thieves on your own!"

"I was afraid that you might leave."

Iago was shocked for a moment. "I promised didn't I? I promised I would stay."

"Promises have been broken before." The hurt in his voice made Iago wince and the parrot put a comforting wing on the boy's head, though that itself was awkward, since he wasn't really sure of what he was doing.

"I made a promise and I don't play to break it." Iago said sincerely, not really sure where the words had come from. Alaric looked at him.

"Really?"

"Honest." Iago had never really felt that he deserved the friendship that Alaric had so freely given him, but he couldn't deny that it made him feel safe, like someone actually cared for him.

"Okay, then I will make you a promise."

"What's that?"

"I will protect you."

"Protect…But why?"

"Whether you like it or not, I'm your friend." Alaric stated firmly, the eleven-year-olds voice sounding very grownup. "And so, I will take watch your back."

"Really?"

"Have I let you down so far?" He asked and Iago thought about it. No he hadn't. Just this morning he had helped Iago escape from a livid Rasoul.

"No. No, I guess you haven't." Iago concluded and Alaric actually beamed. "And I'm sorry for what I said earlier."

"Me too. I'm just glad to know that I won't wake up one day and find you gone."

"I'll let you know when I want to go kid. For now, I like hanging around this place."

"Good, because I like having you around." Alaric stated and Iago felt warmed by those words. No one had ever said that before.

"Hey, 'Laric?" Iago ventured, trying out a nickname he had been thinking of using. To his surprise, Alaric's eyes lit up with a full blast of happiness and they practically shimmered. And what was more surprising was the fact that Iago had hoped for that reaction.

"Yeah, Iago?"

"I guess you're not such an annoying kid after all. Thanks for being there for me."

"No problem, Iago. What are friends for?"

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	5. Learning

Learning

(This is set between The Return of Jafar and the series.)

Arithmetic was a foreign language to Alaric, as curious as he was. And one day after watching Genie work some problems on a piece of paper, Genie took notice of how curious he seemed to be.

"Alaric, have you ever had any schooling?"

"Um…no. I mean I've learned to read and write if that's what you mean."

"What about Mathematics, History, or Science?" The more Genie asked, the more confused Alaric grew. "Would you like to learn?"

"Yeah!"

So Genie, delighted that Alaric wanted to learn from him, set the boy up in the library. Dressed as an old college professor, he set up a chalk board and started to teach him.

Before he got started however, Iago flew in. Genie raised an eyebrow at the parrot.

"Hey, Iago!" Alaric said excitedly. "Genie's going to educate me."

"_He's_ going to teach you?" Iago scoffed. "Now this I've _got_ to see." He leaned back in a chair and Genie scowled.

"Anyway, we need to start by talking about the simple things. For instance, the Earth is round."

"Don't start there. You'll get him confused." Iago stated, peering over Genie's shoulder. "Go back a page."

"That's too far back."

"He needs to learn that at least."

"Why?"

"Well first off, his brother is marrying the Princess. He needs to know have sort of idea where the rules came from." After grumbling Genie took Iago's advice and started at the very beginning.

Alaric leaned against the table top, feeling a bit tired. Genie droned on so much that even Iago had fallen asleep.

"Genie?" The boy asked. "Can you teach me about magic?" Genie paused in what he was doing and turned around. Iago snorted back into life and blinked sleepily at them.

"What kind of magic?"

"You know like artifacts and stuff. Not how to do it."

"Oh, I see. Well, sure if you really want to learn that."

"Yeah. I think that might be important too."

Once again, Iago came to rest on Genie's shoulder, much to the jinni's displeasure. "No, no you'll just confuse the kid."

"Oh, and why is that? Shouldn't he learn not to play with this stuff?"

"Yes, yes." Iago said impatiently. "But you have to start at the beginning. Let him read about it first and ask questions."

"That's not teaching him."

"It's better than confusing him so badly he starts panicking every time he sees something magical." Genie frowned and his fingers itched to thump the parrot across the room.

"Look, kiddo, all you have to do is remember that these kinds of symbols are bad." Genie showed Alaric a few mystic symbols. Iago snorted. Genie knew he was going to regret asking but he did anyway.

"What?"

"Well for one thing, most of these are harmless to humans. For another thing, well these last two aren't bad."

"Yes they are."

"Maybe in your time they were, but you've been stuck in a lamp for over ten-thousand years remember?" Genie glared at him and turned back to Alaric.

"Now, these are-"

"Uh, since when do you know all about spells and such?" Iago challenged and Genie narrowed his eyes at him.

"If you haven't noticed, I am a jinni. Therefore _I_ have knowledge of these sorts of things." Iago rolled his eyes.

"But who in here has an extensive knowledge of magic and wasn't trapped in a lamp. Me."

"Fine." Genie seethed, having quite enough of Iago for one day. He snapped his book closed making Alaric jump. "Have it your way. You're the Headmaster now, Mr.-Know-it-all." He sat the parrot down rather roughly on the tabletop. "So from now on, he's your _pupil_!" Genie went to the other side of the room, sitting in a large red armchair and huffed loudly. Alaric looked from his angry expression to Iago's slightly ruffled one and sighed. Maybe he should have just asked to play a game.

"Overdramatic." Iago muttered.

"I heard that." Genie growled and Alaric sighed.

"Now listen, kid, knowing what's good and bad will only get you so far," Iago started, earning a scoff from Genie who was glaring at them or more correctly Iago. "You have to know what they do in order to understand. So…" Iago flew over to a shelf and started tossing scrolls into a sofa. Alaric gulped at the big pile.

"Read all of these scrolls."

"All of them?" Alaric repeated and Iago nodded.

"How else do you expect to learn anything?"

"But that will take me all day!"

"Well, you are the one who decided to learn." Alaric sighed, but started to read. After a while Iago decided to quiz him. The ending result made Genie snicker, Iago boil over in impatience and Alaric get a headache.

"No, no, no!" Iago scolded and proceeded to hop up and down on the boy's head. "Use that head of yours! How do you expect to learn anything!?"

"Well yelling at me isn't helping!" Alaric shouted and then smacked Iago with one of the scrolls. "And hitting me isn't helping either!"

"I'm trying to get you to focus!"

"Well, it's distracting!" Alaric shouted and then he got up from his seat. "You know what? Forget it. If I want to know about something I'd rather read about it then listen to you guys have a row about how to teach me!" Alaric stormed out of the library leaving Iago and Genie in silence.

"Well that went well." Genie sighed. "Some teachers we are."

"Yeah, you said it."

"Wanna go see if the kid wants to play a game?"

"Sure." Iago stated and after a quick clean up of the library they left, each one hoping that one day Alaric might ask one of them to help again.

"I still think my way was better."

"Keep telling yourself that, Bird-man."

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